Bikes, Bikes everywhere.

On Tuesday, after voting for or against several pieces of legislation on the table in Texas, I walked back across the street from the voting location (in this case Hillcrest Church of Christ, Abilene). I saw my friend Tyler Priest getting out of his car (a ‘Stang, no less) and walk into his duplex, which lies a mere 100 feet (give or take a few) from my own backyard. I decided to take the alley back to my house and go in the back door, with the chance that I might see Tyler come out the back door or something.

Sure enough, Priest, who has a sweet blog, was, in fact, trading four wheels for two so that he might go work out at the ACU gym facility. It looked like he was unlocking a bike or something. I looked down at the bike.

The bike looked a whole lot like…

…wait…

yep, the bike Priest was mounting was, in fact, the Trek 4500 that had been stolen from my place of work back in July.

I asked Priest where he’d gotten the bike.

Excitedly, Priest said he’d found it at Wild Bill’s Pawn Shop, and paid only $225 for it. I informed my friend (and fellow seminarian) about the unbelievable coincidence transpiring before our eyes. He was shocked. I was confused. I hadn’t run through this scenario — what to do if your good friend buys your stolen bike from a local pawn shop — even once in the last few months.

Long story short, the ACU Po-Po came and confiscated the “stolen property,” I picked it up from the station, they questioned Priest and retrieved the receipt for the bike, and they are in the process of detaining the person who pawned the bike.

This story has several morals, the publishing of which I will leave up to you, my faithful readership.

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In other interesting bike news, my Chapel talk yesterday to The Night Riders (of Bike Night fame) went very well. Mitch did an awesome job leading some worship faves and then almost brought a tear to “me eye” by referring to me as “his best friend.” (…sniffle…)

The gist of the talk can be summed up in my closing words:

Keep doing what you’re doing, not only on Tuesday nights but for the rest of your lives. View Bike Night as a metaphor for life. Value community. If you haven’t already, get in on God’s journey. Go together to the margins and fringes of our culture. Invite the lost and hurting into the world-changing journey you’re on. Most of all, keep you’re eyes on Jesus Christ, who’s ridden these paths before us and even joins you today.

I think the Night Riders are going to save the world.

In fact, I’m counting on it.

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We’re in one of the greatest and most eclectic cities in the United States, Austin, TX, this weekend. We’re visiting Chrissy’s parents and recooping from stresses of work and school. We’ll see some of you guys when we get back to A-town. Blessings.